The Garrison Salad – Arugula Salad with Oyster Mushrooms and Sourdough Croutons

Directions

• Make the Creamy Garlic Dressing

  In a small bowl, finely grate the garlic and then squeeze the lemon juice or vinegar over it. Let that sit a few mins to tone down some of the bite of the garlic. Add in the mayonnaise, olive oil, Dijon mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper. Whisk together and set aside.
  
  See full instructions for the Creamy Thyme & Dijon Dressing.

• Grill the Sourdough

  In a small bowl add about a 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Brush both sides of the sourdough slices with the olive oil and a pinch of salt on both sides (about 1/8 tsp salt for each slice).
  
  Grill over high heat until grill marks appear and the edges are lightly charred—about 1–2 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and immediately cut the bread slices length wise down the middle and then cut the strips into triangles and set aside.
  
  Note: You want to cut the bread right away while it is still soft. If you wait, it will be too hard and crumble when you cut it.

• Prep & Sauté the Mushrooms

  First cut the base off the oyster mushrooms and tear them to separate so the mushrooms are individual pieces and relatively similar in size.
  
  Heat the butter in a stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted and foamy, add the oyster mushrooms in a single layer and season with 1/2 tsp of the salt. Cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes after it starts to darken, then stir occasionally until golden and just tender, about 8–10 minutes total. Set aside.
  
  The mushrooms are best at a warm but not hot temperature. So you can make the ahead and slightly heat them back up in the pan or on the keep warm setting of your oven for a minute or two just before serving.

• Shave the Parm

  Using a vegetable peeler, shave the parmesan into strips.

• Dress the Arugula

  Just before serving, in a large bowl, lightly toss arugula with 1 tsp of the olive oil—just enough to gloss the leaves. Season with about 1/4 fine salt and a few cracks of pepper.
  
  For the salt, use a mortar and pestle to grind coarse salt into a fine powder. This helps season the greens without having a gritty texture.

• Assemble the Salad

  Swoosh a generous spoonful of creamy garlic dressing onto each plate as the base. Top with the dressed arugula. Tuck in the grilled sourdough triangles, place the parmesan shavings, and top with the oyster mushrooms and enjoy.